True crime documentaries have taken the world by storm, especially for fans of the macabre. Don't F**k With Cats, The Staircase, and Making a Murderer are just a few documentaries about one-time murders that have captivated true crime buffs over the last few years. Serial killers, in particular, have a way of enthralling viewers, as their tactics and minds terrify and fascinate the curious.

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The psychology of serial killers has long been a subject of interest worldwide. Serial killers have inspired wildly popular shows, like Criminal Minds, which ran for 15 seasons. Whether presented as movies or tv series, serial killer documentaries are typically very successful, as it can be hard to believe that monsters can walk among the ordinary.

Updated By Matthew Z. Wood on 9/10/2022: The list of great serial killer documentaries has grown since this article was originally published. CBR's formats have also changed since then and this update has added relevant links and information, including IMDb ratings, to the article.

10 The Shipman Files (2020) Paid Tribute To The Victims Of A Healthcare Killer

IMDb Score: 6.9

Banner for The Shipman Files, A Very British Crime Story, a documentary about a serial killer

The Shipman Files was a BBC documentary series about Harold Shipman, a medical doctor who specialized in elder care. After a thorough investigation, Shipman discovered that Shipman was a serial killer who had injected fatal doses of morphine into dozens of patients and falsified their death certificates, stating that they died of natural causes.

A jury convicted Shipman of 15 counts of murder, giving families a sense of justice. The Shipman Files mainly focused on the victims and their families rather than the man who took it all away.

9 Killers Behind Bars: The Untold Story (2012) Showed First-Hand Accounts Of Crimes

IMDb Score: 7.0

Banner for Killers Behind Bars: The Untold Story a documentary series featuring serial killers

Killers Behind Bars: The Untold Story followed David Wilson, a criminology professor at Birmingham City University, interviewing some of the UK's most heinous serial killers. Viewers got a first-hand retelling of the crimes committed by these men before law enforcement caught up with them.

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Their victim count ranged from three to five, although some of the men may have killed more. There's always a nature versus nurture discussion surrounding serial killers and hearing their own accounts of their atrocious crimes helps shine a light on who they are and why they kill.

8 The Ripper (2020) Brought An Infamous Killer To Light

IMDb Score: 7.1

Banner for the 2020 serial killer documentary, The Ripper.

The Ripper discussed the terrifying serial killer who murdered 13 women in England in the late 1970s. The killer targeted sex workers in West Yorkshire and was dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper by the local media.

After one of the largest manhunts in English history, the police arrested Peter Sutcliffe, who claimed the voice of God forced him to kill those women and attempt 20 other murders. The documentary follows the men who led the investigation and their path to one of the most infamous killers in British history.

7 Aileen: Life And Death Of A Serial Killer (2003) Discussed America's Most Notorious Female Serial Killer

IMDb Score: 7.1

Banner for the documentary Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer

Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer told the story of Aileen Wuornos, and the seven men she murdered. Aileen was a sex worker in Florida when she robbed and murdered seven of her clients. Although she claimed the killings were in self-defense, she pleaded guilty to most of the murders, and the judge sentenced her to death.

This documentary was the second in a series by the same filmmakers, who ventured deep into the thoughts, motivations, and rationales Aileen reported shortly before her execution. There have only been a handful of female serial killers in history, and she was by far the most infamous. Aileen's execution took place in 2002.

6 World's Most Evil Killers (2017) Highlighted Killers Of All Calibers

IMDb Score: 7.1

Banner for World's Most Evil Killers

World's Most Evil Killers delved into the lives, crimes, and punishments of some of history's most notorious serial killers and some who weren't well-known. The more recognizable names chronicled included Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and Richard Ramirez, who all preyed on men and women for years before being caught.

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This series covered lesser-known serial killers, including Don Miller, Fritz Honka, and William Bonin, among others. There have been six seasons released so far. There's a lot of new material here, even for seasoned true crime fans, as the series covers killers from around the world.

5 Conversations With A Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes (2022) Gives The Killer A Voice

IMDb Score: 7.1

A composite image of serial killer John Wayne Gacy juxtaposed with his Pogo The Clown makeup.

Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes recounted the "Killer Clown's" horrific murders of young boys. John Wayne Gacy was a beloved member of his community who dressed up as a clown at children's hospitals and charity events. However, his neighbors never suspected the evil the serial killer was capable of.

Gacy murdered at least 33 teenage boys and buried them in the crawl space of his Chicago home. He knew some of his victims and solicited sex from others. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity; however, Gacy was found guilty of 33 counts of murder. This documentary let Gacy tell his own atrocious story.

4 I'll Be Gone In The Dark (2020) Renewed Hope In An Unsolved Case

IMDb Score: 7.4

Poster for the serial killer documentary I'll Be Gone In the Dark

I'll Be Gone In The Dark, a serial killer documentary based on the true-crime book of the same name, followed Michelle McNamara's years-long investigation into the case of the Golden State Killer. Michelle, the late wife of actor Patton Oswalt, devoted years to finding the man who murdered at least 13 women and sexually assaulted many more along the California coast in the 1970s. Unfortunately, she passed away before she could finish her work, but her efforts led to a renewed interest in the case.

Thanks to technological advances, investigators found a lead and connected a suspect to DNA found at the crime scenes decades before. Police arrested Joseph DeAngelo in 2018, and he pleaded guilty to 13 murders in 2020. Unfortunately, McNamara didn't get to see her hard work pay off. Still, her unrelenting hope led to justice for survivors, victims, and their families when they confronted the killer in court.

3 Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer (2021) Was Everyone's Worst Nightmare

IMDb Score: 7.5

A banner for the documentary Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer

Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer discusses Richard Ramirez, aka the Night Stalker, who broke into people's homes and sexually assaulted and murdered them in 1980s California. Ramirez survived an awful childhood, which many believe contributed to his life of violence and crime. Over the course of a year, Ramirez sexually assaulted and raped dozens of people.

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This serial killer documentary told the story of his crimes, his victims' lives, and his unprecedented capture. A jury brought Ramirez to justice and convicted him of 13 murders, 11 sexual assaults, and five attempted murders, among other charges, in 1989. Although sentenced to death, Ramirez died of natural causes in prison in 2013.

2 Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019) Followed The World's Most Infamous Killer

IMDb Score: 7.7

Banner for  the serial killer documentary Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes

Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, created by the same team who would make the John Wayne Gacy documentary, compiles interviews and videos of the infamous Ted Bundy, arguably one of history's most frightening and notorious serial killers. Always a self-promoter, Bundy described himself as a handsome charmer who lured his victims to their deaths. He eventually confessed to murdering thirty different women.

Bundy lived an outwardly normal life with long-term girlfriends and friends who never guessed he was capable of the horrors he perpetrated. Bundy always tried to present an image of himself as a mastermind and giving him a chance to speak for himself let him reinforced that image. However, he was a terrifying killer, and hearing him describe his crimes is truly disturbing.

1 Ted Bundy: Falling For A Killer Gives A Different Perspective On Bundy's Crimes

IMDb Score: 7.8

Serial kill Ted Bundy wearing a suit and bow tie

Ted Bundy may be the most romanticized serial killer in American history. This 2020 serial killer documentary from Prime Video gets a different perspective on Bundy by talking with his former girlfriend, Elizabeth Kendall. The award-winning series focuses on another set of Bundy victims, the people who were fooled into caring about him.

The series emphasizes Bundy's deception and inability to accept his own failure, using interviews and archival footage to support its points. If Conversations With A Killer let Bundy make his own arguments, this series is a powerful rebuttal.

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